Princesses and Mercenaries
by Purple Mercenary
Summary: Life in the mansion got old sometimes, at least, until a certain princess encounters a handsome new face...
1. Chapter 1

**Well guys, I'm back! I still have some pretty bad writers block on my other stories, but no worries. I'll try to have something done soon. Until then, I was messing around with some ideas and my friend Flame Falcon and I came up with some interesting ones I think you'll enjoy. **

** But enough of my rambling, let's get to the story shall we? Enjoy! **

Chapter 1

I sat at my vanity combing through my golden brown hair gently, ignoring the loud snoring that escaped my roommates mouth. 5:45, later than the time I usual woke up, but I thought I deserved that extra 30 minutes of sleep. After all that orientation yesterday was awfully long and boring. Yes, coming from a princess that seems odd, but honestly, what sovereign enjoys sitting through council meetings and such? Exactly, none of them do, well besides the occasional "go-getter". I sighed heavily, not worrying about the other sleeping princess. I swear she could sleep through anything, literally. I turned at the thoughts of her, observing her messy mop of yellow-blonde hair. With a giggle, I shook my head. How on earth could anyone look like that? And then, at about 7:30, she performs her magical 'transformation' into her 'queen of gossip' persona. The dainty Mushroom Princess, who in actuality, isn't the elegant princess she's assumed to be. Instead she roams the halls with her partners in crime, any prankster she can pick up in the mansion. And believe me, you don't want to get caught in their prank war.

The sun began to rise, illuminating the landscape with a vibrant color scheme of yellows and oranges. Now would be a wonderful time to open the window and let in the warm spring air. Honestly, I couldn't remember much about the previous night. Peach and I were too distracted by the already drunk Captain Falcon, who had a comment about every newcomer who walked up by the podium. Although Peach and I were distracted, I still caught majority of the newcomers names and introduced myself to them. Some of them weren't as openly friendly as I thought. Peach, however, made every one of them smile, even if it was only a little, she managed to do it. That charm of her's was really something.

"Zelda?" Peach sat up with a yawn, which startled me a little. "What time is it?"

"7:30." I replied standing to pull on my white gloves, but I stopped before I pulled on the second one. Turning to Peach, I gave her a questioning look, who with another yawn, stood and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "We don't have anything special today do we?"

Peach touched her chin lightly as I began to remove my one glove. "No, I don't think so. Thinking about going casual?" I nodded my head at her once while she resumed dragging her feet to the bathroom where she closed the door with the sound of the shower turning on.

I looked through the closet thoughtfully where a variety of my dresses hung neatly on their hangers. My brawl dresses, however, were separated from my casual long dresses. From the casual dresses, I pulled out a lacy lilac dress that I hadn't worn before. Once I slipped it on, I was quite satisfied with my choice. I decided to only wear the dress and my brown boots underneath. I left off my tiara and merely pulled back my hair, half up and half down, but not long after my stomach began to growl. When I heard the shower cut off, I approached the door and let Peach know that I was going down stairs for breakfast. I was surprised when I walked in through the kitchen doors by the Altean Prince, who sat at the island reading a book.

"Good morning Marth." I greeted with a warm smile. He looked up from his book with a grin and closed it to stand and give a slight bow in respect as well as I did.

"Ah, good morning Princess Zelda, how did you sleep? You're down a little later than usual." He replied offering a cup of coffee.

"Oh, I just slept in a bit." I took the cup graciously and sipped the fresh, warm liquid. The warmth soothed the scratchiness of my throat.

"Well, today there's a brawl for the newcomers. Master Hand's working on the details now, and he's supposed to post it around noon." The graceful prince brought his cup back to his lips, finishing off the last bit of his coffee, and smiling at the pink princess who walked in the door. "Good morning, Princess Peach."

Peach froze out the sound of his voice with pink cheeks, her eyes darting up to his and then to the floor, long enough for her to quickly regain her cool. "Good morning." She replied a short while after. "I overheard you saying something about a brawl?"

"Yes, Master Hand is working on that now." The prince explained to the blushing princess.

"I see." Peach smiled slightly as Marth stood and gave the back of her hand a gentle kiss, making sure to keep his eyes locked with her's. The atmosphere in the room tensed around me as his lips pressed to her hand. Peach held in, with all her might, the squeal that was building in her chest. It was when Marth raised slowly and released her hand that the atmosphere relaxed ever so slightly, her excitement barely dying.

"Forgive me for having to leave so soon, but I promised someone I would spar with them this morning."

Peach shook her head furiously with a wide grin, still trying her hardest not to release the energy built up in her small form. "Oh, that quite alright, well, as long as you'll sit with me at the brawl."

"Of course, I will meet you in the foyer when the time comes." Peach nodded her head, and with a small wave, watched Marth off through the door and down the hall. I looked over to Peach with a sly smile and shook my head. When she noticed this, her cheeks were immediately brushed with a light pink.

"What?" She asked nervously playing with her fingers.

"Peach, it's been a year. Why don't you tell him how you feel?"

"I can't!"

"And why not?"

"Because," She sighed heavily, walking over to the sink to find something to occupy herself. "I've had people inform me that he's got his eyes on someone else."

"Samus?" She nodded bitterly at the mention of our friend's name.

Her disgust wasn't directly towards Samus, nor at herself. Peach didn't hate her. What had Samus ever done to her? By the way Samus acted, she never intended for Marth to pursue her. No, Samus probably didn't know at all what rumors about them had been passed around. Marth was a gentleman, it was his nature to act kindly and courtly to the females of the mansion, and Samus wasn't the kind of person to betray her friend. Peach was truly worrying about nothing. Samus knew just as much as I did, if not more, about Peach's prolonged feelings for Marth. I knew for a fact that Samus wouldn't try a thing, but getting that through Peach's head was a different story.

"I still think you should tell him." I announced after a short while. Peach, who entertained herself with washing her tea set, looked over to me with weary eyes.

"And if he doesn't feel the same?"

"Oh give me a break." I huffed folding my arms across my chest and glaring lightly at the fellow princess. "You're really oblivious to all of the moments you to have? What was that just a little while ago? He has something for you, he may not realize it, but he does, and Samus is our friend. You know good and well that she would never do that to you."

Peach was silent, thoughtfully silent, throughout my little rant. It was obvious that at this moment, one of the rare occasions that this happens, that she was taking in a deep consideration of my words. Then suddenly, her eyes lit up. They lit up with a hope that seemed almost inextinguishable.

"You're right." She admitted. "My only question is when would be the right time to tell him?"

"Hm," I paused briefly in thought. "Well, definitely some place quiet, where the two of you are alone."

"Okay, and then what?" I turned my eyes back to the princess whose hands were now clasped together and held closely to her chest. A little laugh escaped my lips at her ecstatic expression.

"Oh Peach, I can't do everything for you. Besides, you're telling him how _**you**_ feel, not me."

Peach nodded in acceptance, dropping the subject as a blonde haired hylian walked through the kitchen door. I however just grabbed some of the fresh fruit to snack on until breakfast was to be served at nine.

"Oh, Link, hello."

"Peach, good morning," Link made eye contact with me and smiled warmly. "You as well Princess Zelda."

"I told you to just call me Zelda." I stated in a jokingly manner. Link chuckled lightly.

"Oh sorry Prin... Zelda."

"That's alright." Link cleared his throat and turned more to the both of us.

"I was actually coming to tell you that Master Hand set up a surprise match this afternoon. The only people who know who's competing are the people in the match." The hylian explained. I touched my cheek lightly. A surprise match? Well, that's new. I wonder who it's between.

"That's rather different than anything before." Peach muttered softly. "But how on earth they keep this a secret, I will never know."

"Well, I guess we will just have to wait and see." Link replied, obviously just as curious as the both of us. It was shortly after we all fell silent that a butler shuffled into the kitchen and handed me a small note. Puzzled, I looked at the note from Master Hand and read its contents.

_Princess Zelda, please come see me in my office as soon as possible. Thank you. _

Curiously, I excused myself from the company of my friends and hurriedly walked to Master Hand's office. I wonder what exactly I'm being summoned for... With a light knock, I waited patiently at his office door, yet no matter how patient I forced myself to be, my anxiety continued to consume me. And finally, after what felt like forever waiting, Master Hand's gentle voice came from behind the door.

"You summoned me, Master Hand?" I asked softly, approaching the giant hand.

"Indeed, as you may have heard, I've arranged a surprise match in which the competitors are kept secret. Would you accept being one of the two competitors?"

"Oh yes, of course, Master Hand. It'd would be an honor." I replied with a slight bow.  
The hand made a satisfied noise. "Very good, although your opponent will be unknown, a fighter of your stature should be fine against the newcomer I've chosen."

I nodded my head, a small smile stretching across my lips. "Thank you Master Hand, I'll do my best."

"Very well then Princess Zelda, you may resume your activities. You're dismissed." I nodded once to the hand and departed from his office to head back to my room.

"Finally, it's been too long since I've had a good match. Hopefully this newcomer is a challenge." I murmured to myself. I looked to the floor briefly when a blue blur passed in front of me and disappeared around the corner. I only caught a glimpse of someone's tousled blue locks.

**Well that's that... if y'all like this I'll keep going. Please let me know. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey y'all, I'm back with another chapter. Yay! Well, I hope y'all like this one. And I think this little story here is giving me some inspiration! Anyway, enjoy!**

Chapter 2

For the second time today something exciting happened. First, I was chosen for the surprise match this afternoon. Second, I was almost knocked off my feet by some blue form, which disappeared into thin air. I was convinced that I was only imagining things. Every newcomer I passed I was skeptical about. For all I knew they could very well be my opponent, but no, I had the feeling that someone else was involved. I was always good at reading emotions, yet no newcomer seemed to give off the excitement one would have being a first competitor. Who ever this person may be, they're pretty good at concealing their excitement for the sake of the surprise. Or maybe it was just me? Maybe I was so concerned about who it was that I overlooked something, or that I had myself so paranoid about winning or losing. After all, I'll find out who it is soon, the match is in a hour. Master Hand said it himself, he believes I can handle it. Why worry?

Along the way back to my room, I ignored the people around me. More than anything trying to ignore the strange feeling of being watched. Yet, every time I turned my head to look, no one was there. I reached my room finally and closed the door behind me, relaxing my back against the door. Peach, however, looked up to me with a puzzled expression.

"Zelda? Are you alright? You look so distraught." I shook my head to her and gave her a reassuring smile. I walked over to my closet hastily and pulled my purple dress from home. Of course I had my other brawl dresses that looked exactly like, the only difference was color, but this one was just my favorite. Peach noticed this and raised an eyebrow as I began to pull on the dress. "Why are you changing?"

"Well, this is the first brawl for the newcomers, I want to look presentable as Hyrule's princess." I honestly did tell her the truth. I did want to look presentable, just... not for the reason she was thinking of.

I began to pull on my long white gloves after pining up my hair and placing my golden tiara in it's place on my head. Peach of course was babbling about my choice. 'Oh you should wear the blue one, or even the black one.' Still, I stuck with my purple one and continued to placing my golden armor on my shoulders. Peach helped me with the back while my fingers fumbled with the front. Peach, shortly after, looked up to the clock with a gasp. She was running late and Marth was waiting. She hurried off to the door, but not before asking me if I was coming. I reassured her that I'd be down in a minute as she rushed off. Taking a deep breath, I smiled. This was it. I started off down the halls, every smasher and newcomer was gathered in the stands anticipating the fight. I grinned and made my way to the teleportation room, arriving on the Final Destination stage. I looked to the audience and waved to Peach, who sat squealing in her chair. My opponent, however, hadn't arrived yet, which left me to playing with a little of my magic for the crowd. The newcomers of the audience sat on the edge of their chairs cheering and chanting my name, but soon after, the crowd fell deathly silent, and all I heard was the sound of heavy boots approaching me from behind.

Instinctively I turned to face the direction of the noise only to find myself staring into pair of gorgeous sea blue eyes. What took me aback was the coldness of his gaze. The most beautiful pair of eyes I had ever seen yet they belonged to a man of such apparent cruel nature. Just from his eyes I could tell this. I could see the personality behind his eyes. He was a cold cruel and uncaring man with a longing for vengeance. The ruthlessness of his past was clear; he'd fought for a long time for a certain reason that was unknown to me. He was tall and broad, a very muscular man, which only added to the gruff personality I saw him with. His dark hair covered of his forehead which was wrapped with a dark green strip of cloth, preventing his blue locks to fall in front of his eyes. The man was something I'd never seen before. I looked away from his cold eyes which distracted me from the rest of his rather handsome face. Even though his expression was grim, his face was quite something to look at too. He had a very masculine face which looked like it was carved from stone and chiseled to perfection, defining his features. Not a single scar or blemish was present there only his smooth tan skin. It wasn't soon after I noticed all this that I found myself admiring him, yet, I feared him. This was who I was going to be fighting.

I shook away the admiration and took a long, deep breath. It was then that I noticed how he looked me from head to toe, his eyes now filling with disbelief and humor.

'Are you serious? This is who I'm fighting? You've got to be kidding me. If this is a joke it isn't very funny.' That was what his eyes seemed to say. The man only shook his head and shrugged off the emotions, his handsome face returning to the blank, ruthless one he wore before.

I looked back to the new figure and saw his weapon. It was a massive sword, long and gold. It looked like a claymore. It was suppose to be a massive two handed sword, so how by Din was he able to carry it with one? I cleared my mind of such questions and waited for Master Hand to finish his count down.  
Once he did, I sent fire out of my hand, aiming for him on the chest. He activated his shield right before it hit him in the chest. He sprang out at me, his speed of his charge off setting his bulk. He slammed the sword into my chest, sending the air rushing out of my chest.

I stumbled backwards and he did not stay his hand on his attack. He combined with both fists and sword. I managed from time to time to get out of his assault and attacked with my magics. He was a strong opponent, but he wasn't fast like Link or Marth with his sword. He could only accomplish so much with his sword, and my magic did some damage. Sadly, they too couldn't do too much against him. He was a tank of flesh and some of my magic impacted against his chest.

When it did, my hand touched his chest and I felt some molten feeling come in mine. There was no armor beneath it... I was feeling solid muscle beneath the clothes. I could feel each inch of the abdomen, and I locked eyes with him. He looked back into mine and I thought for a brief moment he would say something.  
But he only brought his fist against me and sent me flying to the edge of the stage. I shook my head free and then launched another fireball, catching him off guard. I would learn more about this man soon, but for now I needed to teach him a lesson for being rude.

He recovered soon and charged me again, and I blasted more magic tossing him around as he muttered some curse. He slashed out again, but he was not a simple brute. He was skilled and the sword was more of an extra arm then an inanimate object. His attacks drew massive damage to me, and I could hear the gasps of the crowd over our fight.

We were trading blows and launching each other into the oblivion. We were equally matched, and through the minutes, our stocks were dropping at an impressive rate. Twelve minutes ago, both of us had five lives, now we each had one left.

As we each readied for our final life, I did a little bit of a curtsy to wish him the best of luck, all he did was slam his sword into the ground and let out a grunt. I wanted to call forth my Din's fire but ultimately it was going to be a waste that he would have covered the distance in that time. He was readying his charge once again, and I sighed in annoyance. Blasting forth with magic I had when he was close enough, I sent him back.

He was back on his feet and attacking me with his blades as best as he could. The golden sword was finding its mark on me, and each of the counters he offered me when I lashed out with my melee magic always caught me off guard. I heard the crowd mutter amongst themselves, their previous confidence in me being called into question. How could I blame them, even he was proving to be such a massive competitor. He grunted to fight I was putting out, I then was feeling reassured that I was wearing him out.

I launched out with more of my magical abilities. Each one of them finding their mark on him. He let out a few audible grunts and lashed out with his sword once again, and I dodged them with ease. My plan was working, weaken him so that his body movement was becoming slower and slower. So at the end of it, he would become nothing more then a bumbling idiot.

He staggered back near the edge, energy obviously drained and I ran forward, a spell in my hand ready to knock him off the stage. I could hear the crowd chant my name as I readied the spell.

Then, like a serpent striking its pray. His hand grabbed me and pulled me in a hold. I tried to fight back against him but then he did something very unexpected.  
He kissed me on the head. He then followed up by tossing me off the edge of the stage. I didn't scream, I didn't even think of the words for my spell to save my arse. My mind was blank except for one thing.

Since when could men do THAT?

* * *

I sat on my bed, a mere hour after my match with him. I was distraught, bewildered, and even more so angry. Peach paced the room in front of me, just as surprised as I was.

"Who does this guy think he is? Did you even see him around the mansion? Because I sure as hell didn't!" Peach started off on her rant, though I did find myself constantly correcting her improper language.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that for a princess to use such language was very improper?" I asked. Peach huffed and nodded her head.

"And your point is?"

"Peach you've dropped the f-bomb in the past five sentences. Imagine if Marth was to hear you." That did the trick. Peach pursed her lips and took a deep breath while I stood and shrugged off the conversation. "Look Peach, if you need me I'll be in the training hall practicing my magic."

"Okay, try not to run into 'Mr. Tough Guy' along the way."

I walked angrily down the halls to the training hall, everyone I encountered was silent. I found the nearest training room and slipped in silently standing directly in front of one of the dummies.

I screamed with primal rage as I brought the base ball back down on the punching bag. My brow was dripping with sweat and my arms were racked with pain. Since when could he... that Ike, just walk away? Hasn't he recognized I am royalty, and I should at least be recognized as a person if he doesn't take that state into account?

He doesn't seem like the racist type, if he did he would have made it more apparent to me when we were close together. I have met some humans that were like that, but yet he doesn't appear to be that. I looked back down at the sandbag before me and grimace as I toss the weapon aside. So uncivilized of me, I laugh to myself. As I ready my silken gloves for my magic regimen, I feel some new presence come over me.

It's a peculiar feeling, one that I often get when I walk out into the streets of Hyrule Castle Town. The feeling of being watched. I looked back and partially to my surprise I see him. Ike was standing there with his back against the wall and one of his feet resting against it. He still has that blank look on his face and his piercing blue eyes look right at me. "How long have you been there?" I ask with an exhausted voice.

"..." He remained absolutely quiet and just looked at me. His sword was in one of his hands as he spun the tip on the ground, just looking at me. I looked at him and then back at myself. I had changed out to one of my more comfortable dresses for this training. It was cut back, revealing a bit more skin then I would usually have in public. Not on my chest... but with men you never know what gets them aroused.

If you have something to say, speak now! Otherwise leave!" I could feel my patience reach it's end with this man. He looked at me again, sizing me up and he spoke. It sounded so perfect for him, a deep rumbling voice.

"Why?" It appeared he was one not to use words unless they were absolutely necessary. That did not help my mood in any way. I spun around and walked straight up to him,what was left of my patience was beginning to crumple into the wind and I placed one of my fingers on his chest, mentally squealing like a schoolgirl as my hormones took over my mind for the briefest of instances before my annoyance crushed it like a tidal wave.

"You have a lot of nerve for a newcomer. Brushing me off is one thing, but you seem to go out of your way to do such things. Weren't you told to be respects to women and princesses?" He gripped my hand and looked down. He tossed it away and brought his face down until it was only inches away from mine. I could smell him, the cinnamon and other musky smells he reeked with. His voice brought me back to the present.

"I. Do. Not. Care. Princess. Look, if I remember over hearing you at one time, titles have no meaning here. And as far as what I have to say, I was going to say your combat is sloppy. But then again I will let your fights speak for themselves." I withdrew my hand as if I had been smacked. That was what my hand was about to do to him.

He anticipated it and caught my hand. He shook his head and pushed his weight back into me. I was sent tumbling head over heels. I was back on my feet in an instant and grimaced as I felt fire began to burn in my eyes, and it was not the feeling I wanted. Hate made me unpredictable, but this man was pushing me to my breaking point.

I struck out again, this time with magic. It caught him on the side but he side steped the next one and soon I was pinned to the ground with his hands holding my arms to the floor. I struggled for a breif moment but I couldn't escape. "My my princess... you really need to work on your fighting skills."

He chuckled, it was like rolling thunder in his chest and I could feel it. He got off of me and was still chuckling as he left.

I stood up and brushed the dust from my dress and looked back at him. "I will beat you one day Ike. Just you wait."

He paused at the door and looked back at me as if I was some lunatic. "And on that day we will be sharing a bed."

**Well that's the end of that, but I don't take much credit for this chapter, Flame Falcon wrote most of it. Though, there are those bits and piece that are mine. **

** Anyway, I hope y'all liked it and don't forget to review! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, sorry for the delay, finals are coming up and I have just one more day of school! Whoo! That means summer's here and more writing time for me. Anyway, enjoy this new chapter. And thanks to Flame Falcon for the help.**

Chapter 3

Peach tugged tighter at the blindfold over my eyes since I apparently loosened it to sneak a peek. A surprise is what she said it was, but I knew this surprise was just going to end up with Peach dragging me around somewhere. Whatever the occasion was, I had a small hint from the familiar scent of the salty sea air. There were only one place that Master Hand would ever let us go if we weren't brawling there, and that was Delfino Plaza. So, Peach was dragging me to the plaza, probably for another one of her shopping sprees. Or, maybe not? The question hadn't hit me till then, why would I be blindfolded for a shopping spree? I was beginning to think that maybe it wasn't a shopping spree after all, but what could it be?

My thoughts were interrupted by Peach tugging at the knot on the blindfold. Once she had it removed, I took in the sights of a new restaurant. Though the restaurant was smaller, it gave me a homey, comfortable impression. Peach pulled me behind her while I still admired it.

"I figured you and I could have lunch here, and the best part of picking this particular restaurant is that my little birdies told me they have hylian wines and cuisine." She giggled. I rolled my eyes. Of course, Peach had heard the word 'hylian' and immediately jumped on it. Just like when she came with me to Hyrule once. She saw the castle and the kitchens and the 'fine hylian decor' as she called it. After that she was so in to anything that had to do with Hyrule.

Peach basically drug me by the arm, which I had no intentions on resisting knowing that I wasn't going to win, and made her way into the charming little restaurant. Immediately, the hostest recognized the Mushroom Princess and gave up a nice table by the window with an amazing view of the harbor. With a deep inhale i could still smell that fresh sea air. It was hard to think of what I wouldn't give to be lounging on that beach. Knowing Peach though, after we were through here, she'd probably drag me down there anyway. That being something I looked forward to the most. I was so caught up in that beautiful view that I hadn't noticed my elbow propped up on the table with my wrist supporting my chin and Peach, noticing this, let out a light giggle.

"I see you're enjoying the view." I only nodded and sighed.

"It's gorgeous really, just look at how the water sparkles in the sun. Master Hand should really let us come here more often." I replied dreamily. Though that vanished quickly at the questioning behind the occasion. "Peach, how did you convince Master Hand to let us come here?"

"Well, it was more of begging than convincing. I just thought we both really needed a relaxing day at the beach. What can't have a girls' day out?"

"Now I didn't say that. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we are here. I needed to get out of that stuffy mansion."

"Alright then, don't complain!" Peach and I erupted in a small fit of laughter, which ended quickly when a waitress came over to get our orders. The both of us ordered and returned to our conversations, which were really just Peach rambling on about Marth and Samus. No matter how many times I tried to convince her that what she was hearing were only petty rumors, she refused to believe me, as usual. She probably got top rank for the most stubborn princess I knew, but that was just Peach. She had her ways of doing things and her thinking process, most of it quite complex if you asked me, but never had she ever been so distraught about anyone, including the prince. It actually confused me on why she didn't confront Samus the second she heard anything about it. Peach was always pushy, including with Samus, either for what to wear to a party or the rumors that sprang up involving snake and herself when he was first introduced. Maybe Peach didn't _want_ to know. Maybe she'd rather just deny it all than have to face a possible truth. Whatever the reasoning may be, maybe it was my turn to dig up some dirt, descreetly talking to Marth or Samus about the rumors, or possibly just asking opinions on the other. Peach would hate me of course, but she'd thank me for it later, if she found out that is.

The waitress soon came out with our orders, setting down my bowl of some hylian style pasta and a glass of wine. Peach eagerly grabbed her glass of the wine and took small sips. Obviously enjoying it, her small sips gradually grew bigger and she was finished with two glasses before I even drank half of mine. I did, in fact, have to advise her on her limits, but of course, the princess ignored me and continued sipping on her third glass. Peach, more bubbly than usual, finished with her food about the same time as me, only she paid the waitress and had just one more glass of wine. I refused to have even more than two. Peach left a nice tip for the waitress and dragged me off again to a near by store. As I expected, Peach wanted to lounge on the beach.

Peach picked out two cute bikini's, one pink one for her and a lilac one for me, mine which i could only give her one of those  
are-you-serious looks.

"What?" She asked studying what she had picked out. "I don't see anything wrong with this." I held up the tag to show her just what exactly she picked out for me. "Super Sexy Push up... so what's the problem here?"

"I'm not exactly as comfortable in these things as you are." I grumbled. Peach however shook her head and continued to push me to the dressing room.

"Just put it on, it's not that bad."

I huffed and complied with the mushroom princess. There was never any getting my way with her around. Reluctantly, I removed my casual dress and slipped on the slightly snug swimsuit bottoms. Thank the goddesses I decided on casual, the armor and everything else would have been worse to take off. The next part was the top, which I put on and grimaced as I looked in the mirror. It was push up alright, maybe a little more than even she wanted. What was she even trying to do? Set me up with some guy? With a roll of my eyes, I peered out from behind the dressing room door to see Peach at the register already paying. Should have given her more wine, maybe then she couldn't walk to drag me here. Peach spotted me and rushed over to me obviously anxious to see.

"Come on Zelda, let's see what we're working with." With a slight growl I stepped out from behind the door, Peach's eyes growing a little wider. Her face then lit up with the clap of her hands. "Perfect! Here, I bought this cover up to match, put it on and we'll go to the beach."

"Uh, Peach, that cover up's a little low too."

"Nonsense, it looks fine. Now hurry up and put on these sandals. I've already paid for them too."

I let out a huff and slipped on the sandals, just in time for Peach to drag me out of the shop and to the beach.

Peach and I stepped through the portal giggling and laughing. In a way I was glad that Peach and I had finally went out. The beach was just thing that in needed to relax and let loose. Though it did make me curious why Peach was so eager to return to the mansion. I mean, she didn't even have the time to let me change back into my dress. Instead I had to carry it with me in the bag.

Once Peach had arrived at the mansion, though, her mood changed from fretful to excited in an instant. Quickly grabbing my hand, she drug me off through the halls and to the ballroom. I gasped in shock and embarrassment for the entire mansion was there holding balloons and shouting surprise at the top of their lungs. My surprise though vanished as I looked away from the violet banners and to Peach. With an angry huff, I crossed my arms.

"If I would have known that there was going to be the entire mansion here, I would have changed."

"Oh come on, Zelda, it's your birthday!" Peach giggled almost jumping up and down where she stood. That's right, it was my birthday and I forgot about it. How do you forget your own birthday? "Besides, it's all your friends; they've seen you in a bikini before."

As soon as she made the comment, my eyes darted around the room, looking for that certain someone who, in fact, hadn't seen me like this before. What would he think? Or more importantly, what would he say? His natural blunt nature had already gotten him in trouble a few times before when he opened his mouth to the wrong person. A fight would go down, all talk at first, but when they threw the first punch, he always won.

Shortly after, my search ended and my gaze locked with the mercenary's, a single eyebrow was raised. Now, I was embarrassed. It was quick, but his eyes ran over me from head to toe. What was he thinking? Good or bad, I worried myself to the point that I was trembling. With trembling fingers, I gripped my bag closer to my body. Peach noticed this and raised an eyebrow.

"Zelda are you alright?" She asked quietly. The words didn't want to come out of my mouth. The only thing I could manage was nothing more than a whisper.

"Peach," I muttered. "Can you distract them while I go change? You're good at that right?"

Peach huffed and rolled her eyes with a grin. Hurriedly, I dashed off to my room not before looking back only to find the mercenary had disappeared from the room. Relief passed over me as soon as I shut my door and locked it behind me. I changed quickly into one of my more casual dresses, leaving all of the other accessories that went with it. Today just had to be my birthday, and of course, Peach hadn't given me enough time to even change. What an embarrassment that was. It was pointless really, to fix my hair when the afternoon was already here, but of course, I did it anyway. Then again, everyone would be distracted by the party to even really care about the occasion, well, except for Link and Marth. Other than those two, no one really paid much attention, but I was okay with that. The extra attention wasn't really something I enjoyed, which gave me the idea to just skip the party. Peach wouldn't notice, and if Link or Marth did, they'd come find me and I could explain why. They'd understand.

As I had finished with my hair, I noticed a small piece of paper folded and slid underneath my door. I followed where the note told me to go. It was a little mysterious, but that is what made it more enjoyable. It gave it a sense of cloak and dagger, and I was going to enjoy it. The 'party' that was devoted to me was becoming more of a social gathering and I wasn't going to go back down after everyone saw me in my beach wear.

"What did he think when he saw me?" I mused myself. If I needed any excitement, that would be following this note to where ever it took me.

I looked at the note again, and found myself drawn to the handwriting of the note. It was short, articulate, yet not carried with years of training with the calligraphers. It was anonymously signed and simply told me to meet someone at the training halls. Whoever it was certainly was spending a lot of time to entice me.

I saw a light on in the sparing room I was to go to. My heart rate picked up slightly as I heard someone inside of it. I knocked on the door and waited for someone to open the door. I heard footsteps come to the door and I saw a head of blue hair. At first I thought it was Marth, but then I remembered he was nursing a cold drink next to Peach. That left-

My train of thought was instantly halted when Ike opened the door. He was shirtless and covered with a thin layer of sweat. His piercing blue eyes looked down into mines and I felt the breath hitch out of my lungs. My eyes could explore his body freely, and I liked what I saw. Thick with muscle and toned skin... if he wasn't wearing any other clothes I would have probably tackled him where he stood. His eyes looked me up and down as well.

I wanted to say something but my mouth wouldn't work. So he said something before I made a bigger fool of myself. "I see you got my invitation, Zelda."

I breathed a laugh for a moment and looked back at him as he took me gently by the hand into dojo. "You invited me? My arch-rival has invited me to something?" There was some humor in my voice and he could see it. His hand was calloused yet soft and there was a small smile on his lips. I felt a familiar fire rush across my chest as I took this all in.

"Yes princess. I knew you said you would beat me one of these days. So I decided to give you some help with that as your birthday present." His voice was rumbling, and yet I could not help myself but be drawn away to it. His cape and shirt were draped over a chair along with his sword. He placed both of his hands on my shoulder and whispered for me to stay there. He went over to the other side and turned to face me.

"Well, I think there is no better way to get you started on fighting me. Throw your best punch at me." I hesitated for the briefest instant but I came up at him. I curled my knuckles into a fist and threw it at him. Within one instant he gripped my wrist and pulled it behind my back, causing me to gasp out in pain. It didn't hurt but just the unfamiliar feeling escaped me. He wrapped his hand around my stomach and pulled me closer. "Uncoordinated and sloppy. You really need my help."  
I laughed, "Unlikely." I called upon a few of my spells and tossed him back in a sphere of blue light. He got back up in nothing more than a second and began blocking my punches. For each one I threw, he blocked it with ease. Our combat soon became a dance, and I was really enjoying it. Occasionally, I let my fingers graze his chest and take in the feel. My mind raced with the ecstasy, and before I knew it, I was pinned to the floor.

We were exhausted, sweat dripped from both of our brows and we rested our foreheads on the other. I took in his primal sent, and he looked deep into my eyes. I wanted to surrender myself to him, to run my fingers through his hair, to tear his clothes from him, and to be one with him.

My eyes shot open as my lust wormed its way into my brain. I push Ike off of me and got back to my feet. "I... thank you for your present to me, my lord Ike." I heard his formal title from several other smashers and he seemed surprised when I said it. "I think it is getting late so I must be on my way.""

I turned away to leave but I felt his arm wrap around my waist. He pulled me closer and looked down into my eyes. I saw those piercing blue eyes now clouded with some sort of emotion and he smiled at me. "If you ever need to practice again... don't hesitate." He let me go and I walked out the door. The second it closed behind me, I took off. There was a bit of wetness at the edges of my eyes as I cried silently to myself. This wasn't suppose to happen, I swore it would never happen again.  
I reached my room and slammed the door behind me. What a day! Not only did I look like a hot-blooded painted harlot in front of everybody, but I felt the forbidding feeling for that... blue haired wonder. But that shouldn't happen. Not again. I opened my nightstand drawer and pulled some cloth off, revealing a finely painted portrait. This was taken on our day. I could remember the feel of the fine Hylian silk as it hugged my body. The smell of the flowers and the sun on my face, and most importantly... I felt his lips against mine.

The tears rolled down my eyes in rapid succession and I kissed my hand to put it against the man in the portrait. "I am sorry, I didn't know what came over me. I know I told you I would not love another but this is different. I know he feels something for me... but I can't turn away from you." I whispered to the picture. "Happy birthday my love."

I heard Peach come back, overflowing with the giggle water that was served on the party. I put the portrait back and laid down on the bed. Closing my eyes, I remembered the most important man in my life... and one that was just coming in.


	4. Chapter 4

** Hey guys, so here's another chapter. Hope y'all like it. I thought I was going to have some time to write this summer, but I've been busy. I'll try to update more often. Thanks and enjoy.**

Chapter 4

This room was dark and silent save for the deep breaths of someone sleeping a mere foot away from me. I had a familiar feeling, like I had been here before, but the room lacked the light for me to confirm what I had suspected. I could tell the figure next to me was a man. His bulky body was pressed against mine and his strong arms wrapped themselves tightly around my waist. I knew then who it was. A smile rose to my lips while I ran my slender fingers through his soft auburn hair. His gentle sigh mimicking the one he gave me when I did this the nights we were together.

The feeling of peace engulfed both of our bodies, a feeling I longed to grasp again. Though everything felt in place, there was a small detail that my body hadn't registered yet. I knew it, somewhere inside of my head that this wasn't the same as our moments before. It seemed small at first, but with each passing moment it grew. At first, something only seemed a little off, and then, something seemed _really _off. My fingers stopped in place and began to tremble. My nerves weren't the cause, but something was, something big. It was something about his breathing. His breaths were deeper than I'd ever heard before.

Carefully, I rested my head on his bare chest, which wasn't smooth like normal. With a single finger, I traced every inch of his chest and stomach, adding in more fingers as they ran across scars and trails of thin hair that he never had. I found my fingers running from just below his bellybutton down over the slightly thicker trail of hair to the band of his shorts. My breath hitched again in my lungs as his hand had reached down to grab mine. His soft familiar calloused hand intertwined with mine in ways that I'd never felt before. Instead of just my fingers, my hands themselves began to tremble as adrenaline was already pumping through my veins.

_Who is this man?_ I asked myself. _And why do I feel this way?_ An emotion that I couldn't even explain filled my chest. My eyes stung with tears that I held back with all my strength. Why was my whole body trembling? I knew already the man wasn't him, but why would my body react this way? What was my heart not telling me?

Which shaky hands, I held both sides of his face. His ears would tell me if it was true or not. Slowly, I moved my hands to his ear and gasped at my findings. They… weren't pointed.

A single deep chuckle rumbled through his chest, much deeper than I was expecting. It was just then that my being registered what was going on, but before I had the time to think, his lips parted and he spoke in a voice that made my body lose control. "Is something the matter, princess?"

Dawn had just broken on the other side of the cream colored curtains that framed the window next to my bed. I only wished it was the warm rays of sunlight that woke me, but it wasn't. Still my hands were trembling and with a few fingers, I touched my damp cheek in utter bewilderment. A dream, it was only a dream. A sigh of relief escaped my lips, but the puzzled feeling didn't subside. He was there, but why? I was so distraught that I didn't notice the stirring princess in her bed next to mine. My eyes widened at what I saw.

Peach sat up, fully clothed and on top of the covers, her eyes sleepily moved across the room and connected with mine which were wide with surprise. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion at me, at least, until she looked down at the sleeping Marth beside her. Peach jumped up with a high pitched squeal, which in turn, woke Marth as well. The prince sat up with a groan, obviously not realizing what was going on as he stared at me dumbfounded. Both of us blinked a few times as he cocked his head to the side.

"Princess Zelda? What are you doing in my room?"

"This isn't your room you idiot!" Peach flung a pillow at the prince whom it smacked right in the face causing him to topple over onto the floor.

"What the hell was that for?" Marth exclaimed, from his new seat on the floor.

"You slept on _my _bed, in _my _room, with _me_!"

Marth opened his mouth to speak, but stopped and snapped his jaw shut. Marth was never one to get drunk, but last night, he apparently did. Peach was still squealing, jumping up and down repeating the phrase holy cow over and over. Marth stood and placed the pillow back on her bed, waiting for her to calm down.

Clearing my throat, I stood and threw my long robe on over my nightgown. Peach suddenly stopped, and watched me as I walked to the mirror, drying my damp cheeks with a handkerchief.

"Zelda, are you alright?" Peach took a step towards me with concern on her features.

I forced myself to fake a smile. "Yes, why do you ask?"

"Zelda, don't lie to me. I know you too well for you to try to fake a smile." Peach crossed her arms as I sighed heavily in surrender.

"To be honest," I started. "_He's_ involved."

Peach mouthed the word 'oh' in realization and turned to Marth. "Can you give us some time?" She asked placing a single hand on his shoulder. Marth nodded once and slightly bowed to me. I could see in his expression he wished to comfort me, but he understood the situation.

Marth left us, shutting the door gently behind him as Peach took my hand and drug me to sit on the edge of my bed. "Okay, tell me what happened."

I bit my lip at how to explain it to her. If Peach knew who it was, there was bound to be some drama with it. "Well," I began. "To put it simply, I had a dream that I was with him, but the room was dark and I realized it wasn't him… Someone replaced him Peach."

"Who was it?" She gasped. I shook my head preparing my lie.

"I don't know." I murmured.

Peach sat back on her hands and sighed heavily. "That's so strange. You know, they say when you dream about someone, that person was dreaming about you."

"He was dreaming about me..?" I murmured to myself. Peach nodded her head and stood up.

"Who knows, it's probably just a one-time thing. I wouldn't let it worry you. You should get some breakfast; it might make you feel better." Peach skipped happily into the bathroom and with the bathtub filling up just a moment after. Damn that Peach, filling my head with foolish nonsense, but maybe, just maybe, it was true. What if he was dreaming about me? Oh how I would have loved to get in his head and see if it was true. Peach, I'll admit, was usually right, but the chances of what she said being true seemed awfully slim, at least in my eyes.

As I was getting cleaned up for the day, I couldn't help but touch my hand, the same hand he grabbed. It just… felt so real. It was like I could still feel my fingers tracing every inch of his stomach, running over the hairs and scars. It was hard to believe that it was only a dream. Just to touch him again… no, no I said I wouldn't. Not again. It was bad enough that I ever dreamt of him that way. Then it occurred to me, he's here in the mansion. Right at this moment, he could be wandering the halls, and what if I saw him? Could I keep my composure? Or would I make a fool of myself? I swallowed hard. I'd have to face him eventually, and like Peach said maybe a little meal would make me feel better. After all, I hadn't noticed the gnawing hunger that began to surface.

Slowly, I made my way downstairs. The other smashers were already out and about, Gannon arguing with Bowser, the kids running around, and the others, well, they were everywhere. I snuck into the kitchen where it thought no others would considering it was past breakfast time. I sighed at the solitude and found myself some leftovers. Of course I knew the solitude wouldn't last, but this time I was surprised by the wrapped hands that shielded my eyes from behind.

"Guess who?" A low feminine voice asked. I smiled knowing full and well who it was.

"Oh, I wonder, could it be that sheikah woman?" I replied turning to greet her.

"Aw darn, you guessed right again." Sheik gave me a short hug and stepped away, I didn't have to see to know she was smiling under her cowl.

"How was it back in Hyrule?" I asked. Sheik only shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, it was fine, well, besides the fact that the people complained the whole time. They've got to see the princess every once in a while you know." She laughed. I sighed with a small grin and shook my head knowingly.

"I know. It's been too long since I've visited."

"Tell me about it. I get the earful." I chuckled lightly and removed my gloves to wash the plate and silverware that I used. Sheik went on telling me about the events happening in Hyrule while I cleaned and dried the dishes, but my focus faded in and out of the conversation. That mercenary… he was just stuck in my head now. There was no welcoming of my dear friend, only thoughts about him.

"Excuse me a moment Sheik." My doppelganger nodded, and I could feel a smirk under that cowl. I walked out of the kitchen running my fingers through my hair in confusion. I was really getting concerned about my feelings towards this mercenary. I felt something more for him then I did with Link or any other men except for one other. I had no idea what I was going to do.

I found a spare chair where I could sit down for a moment and clear my head. As I did, I tried to think about what to do. On one hand, I could blow this Ike completely off, resume my old life with little regret and forget all about the commoner. On the other hand, I could try to make this work and be taken along for the ride. I remembered the dream, how I thought it was so close to what I had experienced almost three years ago. But this Ike had taken the place of him, and that was wondering if he was becoming a bit too unhealthy for me.

I placed my hand underneath my chin and looked into space. They were so alike, him and Ike. Both were a bit gruff pieces of work when I first met both of them, and once we had our differences known, we soon got close. I wondered for a second if Ike was related to him, but I pushed the thought aside, and focused more on what is going on right now.

I was wondering what I should do right now. I was a princess of a kingdom ruled by the arcane, and conquering hormonal requests should be the least of my concerns. I wondered more and more of what to do with this Ike.

While I was thinking of it, a fingerless gloved hand snapped his fingers in front of me, drawing me out of my daydreaming. I looked up into Ike's eyes and there was a small smile on the edge of his lips. "I was wondering where you were. So what is Hyrule's ruler thinking of?"

I smile at his blunt matter and then I wondered what I would say to him. I fumbled around with one of my braids again, and grimaced for a second. "Ike... can I talk to you?"

He looked at me perplexed and then I gave him a look that said 'somewhere else'. He nodded and grabbed my hand gently as he led me off to a private place which, surprise surprise, was one of the training rooms. He closed the door behind himself and planted his back against it and looked dead into my eyes, which pierced them and into my soul.

"Ike, what do you think about..." Oh goddesses how was I going to throw this at him, "about us? In this current state of affairs?"

He cocked an eyebrow at me and looked at me if I was some loony tune for a second. But the look passed and he shook his head. "Does it really matter what I think? You have formed your own opinion about the situation and you have second guesses about what you concluded. So you go fishing to see what I think."

Fuck, he isn't as dumb as he seems. I swore in my head in a very un-princess like manner. "I don't know what you mean. I am asking-"

"Zelda... look. As far as what we are right now, you are a student who will try to and probably beat the master one day. Now, unless you want to do what married people do on their wedding nights right now, that won't change. So do you want to do that or do you want to get better with your fighting skills?"

Very, very, VERY blunt. They both were. "I would like to beat you with something long, hard and wooden rather than keep this going."  
He smirked as he tossed me a small training sword. "You said it your highness, I didn't."

I readied my sword arm and looked at the mercenary. He brought his sword up at the high guard and gestured for me to come at him again. I threw myself at him and brought my wooden practice sword crashing down on him, which he easily parried and pointed it at my chin. "Never hesitate princess." I smirk and counter him, which he easily recovers.

We have been going at this for what seemed like hours. We started out with daggers and worked our way up to what he called broadswords. Unlike Snake, he politely kept his tongue in check before he could make a very poor joke. But now, sweat was dripping from both of our brows and streaked our faces as we fought each other.  
Though I was putting the most of the efforts in avoiding his grapples, after the night's dream... I really didn't want to tempt fate by feeling his embrace around my body. To feel his muscular chest, his biceps- _Zelda what the hell are you thinking!?_ I mentally yelled at myself and soon I was back into the heat of the battle. Ike swung his sword around and slammed it into mine. He took a step back and we began to circle one another.

"So Princess, have you ever had any courtships?" He asked me out of the blue, causing me to involuntary wince at the question. _What do I do? Should I tell Ike or should I let a sleeping dog lie.  
_  
"I am a princess, I have had quite a few suitors." He swung out at me and I countered though with great effort. "I wonder what it was that cause a mercenary to ask such a question. I can imagine you had quite a few loves over your time as a soldier of fortune."

He laughed me, catching me off guard. He lowered his sword a fraction when he saw I was getting exhausted. "No princess, I may have had a fleeting feeling for one I was told to protect but it didn't blossom into anything. I am just wondering if the little sorceress from Hyrule had any lover awaiting her when she returns."

I twitched with a bit of annoyance at the question and readied my sword again. I kept my demeanor calm for the moment, but he was pushing it. I lashed out again, catching him on his sword arm. I smiled for an instant before he grabbed my wrist and held it to his chest. The second my hand touched that thin cloth covering his thick abdomen, my mind went blank. I couldn't think or say anything to help myself for the life of me.

He bent down to look directly into my eyes. They were steely blue... just like his. I blinked my own ones a few times and I felt a bit of moisture come out of them. He wiped it away and let go of my hand. "You look tired princess. I will get you something to relax with. In the meantime, wait here."

He turned to the door and the second it closed behind him, I felt my legs grow weak and tumble to the ground, sniffling and just about sobbing. Why now? Why? It has been three years and I was supposed to be over it, but it keeps getting torn open like an old wound.

I pictured the two, he and him, and I could see that that I was going through the same stages. What I did with him was what I was doing now! I closed my eyes and let the tears fall from my face now freely. Din, why did this have to happen to me? Haven't I suffered enough already? What was I, fate's plaything?

I felt my pulse grow wilder as I saw the images flash past me again: the kiss, the words, the embrace and even something that brought us closer than ever before. I watched it all, only now I could hear Ike's voice replacing his! This can't be happening, this CAN'T!

My world started to spin and before the ground rushed up to meet me, I heard his voice. "Zelda..."

* * *

I woke up with cool soft pillows beneath my head. I rolled for a bit, wondering what happened when I felt something cold on my forehead. Feeling it, I realize it must have been a cloth someone must have put on cold water too cool me down. I smile, someone must have been very kind enough to drag me off to my bed and lower my body temperature.

I took the cloth of but then I got a good look at it. I felt my breath hitch out of my lungs as I looked at it. It was a dark green headband, the one Ike wore all the time. He swore he would never take it off. I then look at the time and realized it was half past three in the morning. How long was I out?

I then heard someone breathing in the room and it wasn't the mushroom princess. She had a social gathering of some sort. I looked in the dim moon light and saw Ike, azure hair flowing freely, asleep on a chair. He must have come back for me and...

I choked as I realized what he did for me. I could have easily died from overheating and heat stroke... and he stayed the night to be sure I was fine. I felt incredibly selfish and sour at myself. I rose from the bed with a blanket in tow and laid it around him. I ruffled his hair gently, being careful not to wake him. I pulled some of his hair aside and, with an unknown feeling coming over me, kissed him on the forehead. He convulsed for a moment before going back to sleep.

I turned around with tears in my eyes and laid back in bed. "If you are there, give me some sign of what I am to do. You are my first and my only... but I am lost right now." I whisper to myself before I fall off to sleep. Hoping somewhere, somehow, he hears me.


End file.
